By Chris Ely
Each year, almost as a ritual of spring, some fans make fools of themselves complaining loudly about the refs early in the season, because they do not know some of the rules have changed. One by one, they are informed, each quite embarrassed. So, annually I do this public service of informing E-Lacrosse readers of the new rules so that you remain informed and accurate when hounding the refs.
One thing to not look for in 2006 is yours truly, in stripes. In a move, no doubt cheered by some coaches throughout the midatlantic region, I have decided to retire after 30 years of officiating. Since joining the Southern Lacrosse Officials Association in 1974, I had the pleasure of officiating games from midget league to little league, from high school through college and club, in the spring, summer and fall - from the first game in the sleet and snow of February to the NCAA Championships in the heat of May. It's been a tremendous career, but my knees have informed me that under no uncertain terms, it's time to do something else in lacrosse. So, I hope to be around, just not on the field, absorbing the abuse of coaches and fans directly, but using my experience and knowledge of the game to observe, evaluate and prepare young officials for their share of abuse.
Speaking of what you won't see in 2006, thank goodness the rules committee did not adopt the clearing rule they occasionally experimented with last fall. The new rule would have drastically changed the stalling rule which is now still in effect. Currently, the clearing team has 20 seconds to clear the ball out of the defensive zone and across the mid line. Then the team has 10 seconds to move the ball inside its offensive box.
Under the experiment tried out this fall, the clearing team had 30 seconds to move the ball from inside their defensive zone to inside their offensive box- and once they got the ball inside the offensive box, they had to keep it there or they turned the ball over. The trail official (the one moving up field with the clearing team) kept the 20 second count on his beeper, then, when that went off, he resumed the remaining 10 second count visually by moving his arm until one of the lead officials indicated that the team successfully got the ball into the box. Once the clearing team made it into the offensive box, they were not permitted to take the ball outside the box - doing so resulted in a turnover.
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http://www.e-lacrosse.com/ely2.html
